BUILDING THE FLEET 181

the army should have prepared some defence against tanks in time of peace.1

As a naval officer who had got to know the force of the wind and the malice of squalls on sailing ships, I never promised myself much from the airships, and the war has proved me right in this. I set much greater expectations on the development of the aeroplane. During the Zeppelin craze which passed over Germany I kept myself in the background as much as possible, without appearing a wet blanket. As a proof of the urgent temptation to over-hasty adoptions all around me in this and many other provinces, I reproduce a letter together with my answer.

" BERLIN, "August 27th, 1912.

" YOUR EXCELLENCY,

"Forgive my disturbing your holiday; but it is a question of an urgent and important matter!—the improvement of our airship construction. The new naval airship will represent an enormously big advance. To me the time seems to have come when we should proceed to the systematic building of an aerial fleet; for as things are at present we shall not turn our advantage to any account. The creator of the German fleet should also be the creator of the German aerial fleet. A definite building programme and all that this includes is necessary if we are to retain the lead, and in the circumstances a Bill to this effect. The cost will not be too great, for with 30,000,000 marks we can build in three years eighteen to twenty Zeppelin ships, together with nine or ten sheds each holding two ships, including, further,

1 Vide Appendix.